


Unbreakable

by KaylaMicael



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27943139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaMicael/pseuds/KaylaMicael
Summary: A Wakko's Wish story. Just when things finally seem to have turned around for the Warners, their lives are shattered, and there's nothing to do but pick up the pieces as best they can. Will one more wish come true?
Comments: 44
Kudos: 88





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story to celebrate the airing of the reboot... I put a lot of thought and effort into it and it means a lot to me, so I would very much appreciate voiced and honest feedback. I like to know what I did right and anything I can do to improve. And yes, Wakko is the focus of the story... believe it or not, he's my favorite of the trio.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unforeseen event changes everything for the Warner siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter! Please leave feedback if you read, it's important to me to know what I did right, what I did wrong, and anything I can do to improve. If you like purely comedy, this isn't a story for you... my talent is in writing more serious stories.

Dot sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, clutching the pillow to her chest as tears stung in her eyes. Scratchy said that the operation had been a success, and she was well on the way to a full recovery. But that news didn’t bring her any joy. All she could think of was Wakko, and how close the means of it had come to killing him. 

_It still could._

Her throat tightened and she pressed her face into the pillow. Despite her closed eyes, she could see it clearly.

_Her little act had cleared the way for Wakko to reach the star, as she had known it would, and she and Yakko watched as the spirit told him to make his wish. He stood still for a few moments, then the star faded. Yakko and Dot exchanged grins, but then looked up just in time to see their brother drop to his knees, then slump forward into the snow._

_He didn’t get back up._

_They exchanged another look, and this time Dot could see her own alarm mirrored in his face. Immediately, both leaped up and ran to where Wakko was laying. Yakko reached him first and turned him onto his back. Out of the corner of her eye, Dot saw two coins slip out of her brother’s hand, but her attention was quickly drawn to his face. His eyes were closed, his expression slack._

_“Wakko?” Yakko said in an urgent voice, shaking his shoulder. His head lolled limply, but there was no response. A sickening feeling started in Dot’s stomach, and she looked at Yakko. Looking just as scared as she was, he put an ear to their brother’s chest._

_“He’s breathing!”_

_Without a second word, Yakko lifted him in his arms and started running. Dot managed to keep enough presence of mind to snatch up the coins before racing after._

A faint little sob escaped Dot as she hugged the pillow. It had turned out that the cannon shot had hurt him, and pretty badly. How he pushed himself to run, no one could say. Most likely, he was moving on pure adrenaline. Dot lifted her head and glanced across the room, feeling her heart fall again at the sight of her brothers.

Wakko was laying in the other bed, where he’d been for the past two days. Yakko was sitting beside him, shoulders slumped and his head in his hands. Dot was almost just as worried about him; he’d been blaming himself ever since they found out what had happened, and she didn’t think he’d slept more than two hours a night.

Taking a deep breath, Dot set down her pillow and slid off the bed, padding over to where Yakko was sitting and placing a hand on his arm.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly. Her brother looked up at her, his eyes completely dull. A quiet, bitter laugh escaped him before he lowered his eyes again.

“No. I’m not, he’s not.” His fists clenched. “How did I not notice something was wrong?”

Dot bit her lip at the anger in his voice.

“I didn’t notice either. He just didn’t…”

“Didn’t tell anyone,” Yakko finished. He let out a heavy sigh and slumped in his seat. “He never does.”

A sickening feeling of guilt filled Dot. All this time, her brother had never once thought of himself, only her. Everything he did had been for her sake, and now look at what it had done to him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is all my fault…”

Yakko immediately stood and pulled her into a gentle hug.

“No, sis. It’s not your fault. You’re not the one who hurt him.”

Dot sniffled, feeling a flare of anger. Salazar had ruined so many lives already, and now because of him, they might lose another of the only family they had left. She looked up at Yakko.

“If I’m not supposed to blame myself, neither are you.”

Yakko drew back and sighed, his eyes moving to Wakko again.

“I’m supposed to protect you guys. When we lost Mom and Dad, I promised I would never let anything happen to ya.” He dropped back into his seat and let out a sharp scoff. “What a joke.”

“It wasn’t a joke to us,” Dot said firmly. “You did your best. I know that, and Wakko knows too.”

Yakko looked at her, then a faint half smile crossed his face.

“Thanks, sis.”

Dot smiled back, then looked at the dark circles under her brother’s eyes.

“You look like you haven’t slept in months. I can watch him.”

Yakko bit his lip, and she knew he was going to protest. Immediately, she widened her eyes and gave him her ultimate cute look.

“Pleeease?”

It had the desired effect. Her brother looked at her, and she could see him caving. She continued gazing at him, and finally he sighed.

“Okay. But if anything happens…”

“I know, get you. Go on, I’ve got this.”

Yakko nodded, then stood with a soft grunt. With another look at Wakko, he trudged across the room to his bed. Dot waited until she was sure he was asleep, then turned back to her other brother. She glanced at the empty chair, but the urge to be closer pulled at her. Walking to the bed, she hoisted herself up and settled down beside Wakko. For a few moments she simply listened to his slow, heavy breathing. Then she reached out a hand and gently laid it on his chest, so she could feel the slow beats of his heart. The sensation gave her hope. 

_Cheer up and never give up hope._

The memory brought a sad smile to her face.

“You always were the positive one,” she whispered. 

There was no response. A lump rose in Dot’s throat, and she swallowed hard before continuing.

“But it’s kind of hard without you. So you’ve gotta pull through this, okay?”

Tears filled her eyes, but she struggled not to let them fall. If she cried, it would be like giving up. Her brother never gave up on her… there was no way she was giving up on him.

…

Two days. Two days, and nothing had changed. Yakko rubbed his eyes as the discouraging thought kept running through his mind. For just a while, he had thought fate was finally cutting him and his siblings a break… that things might finally be changing for the better.

_Now this happens._

With a heavy sigh, the eldest Warner glanced across the room at his sister, whom he had finally convinced to get some sleep. He had always known that there was a chance he might lose one of his siblings, but he never imagined it would happen this way. He shook his head, suddenly angry at himself.

_Stop! It hasn’t happened yet. Wakko wouldn’t be thinking this way._

Yakko focused his attention back on his injured, unconscious brother. Scratchansniff had told them that the lack of change wasn’t good or bad, but that didn’t bring either of them any comfort. Yakko had done his best to keep up a brave face the past few days, but it was wearing on him and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep it up. Wakko was always the more optimistic one… the one who saw the best in every situation. He was also the most giving, willing to do anything for his family.

_But he shouldn’t have had to take it this far._

Swallowing hard, Yakko reached out and ran a gentle hand through his brother’s hair. After Wakko had left last year, he had constantly worried that something might happen to him. It was only when he finally came home that Yakko had been able to put that fear aside. Nothing could happen to any of them as long as they were together. 

Yet it had happened, and it had happened on his watch. And he hadn’t even noticed anything was wrong.

As much as it pained Yakko to admit it, over the years he had become so caught up in caring for his sister that he had forgotten to give the same attention to his brother. Wakko had his problems too, but he had learned to keep them quiet. Struggling to push down the sickening guilt he felt, Yakko looked at Dot again. She blamed herself too, he knew. His siblings should never have had to experience the hardship and pain they had seen.

_They wouldn’t have if Mom and Dad were here._

As his throat tightened, Yakko continued to stroke his brother’s bandaged head.

“I’m sorry, sib,” he said softly. “This never should’ve happened to you. I know I haven’t really been there for ya, and I wish I was. But you did it… Dot’s fine now. She needs you, though. We both do.”

Yakko took a deep breath. He had never said anything this deeply personal to either of his siblings, but the words seemed to come on their own.

“Please…” His voice broke a little, and he bit his lip before continuing. “We can’t lose you too.” 

He trailed off as he tried to think of something else to say. Finally, he released a heavy sigh and took his brother’s limp hand. Honestly, he couldn’t see the point… they had been talking to him all the time over the past few days. Wherever Wakko was, he clearly couldn’t hear them.

Lost in his depressing thoughts, he almost didn’t notice the twitch in his hand.

_Wait, what?_

Yakko’s head snapped up, his eyes going wide. As he watched in disbelief, Wakko’s hand tightened around his. He whipped around.

“Dot!”

His sister jerked upright with a sleepy, confused expression. When she looked at him, her eyes went wide and she jumped up, rushed over and scrambled up onto the bed. There was a faint groan, and Yakko felt his heart start to pound. His brother stirred, his brow furrowing. Then finally, slowly, his eyes flickered open. Letting out a quiet sob, Dot flung her arms around him. Yakko felt a twinge of concern when Wakko winced, but he couldn’t find it in him to pull his sister away. It was taking all his self-control not to follow her example. Smiling through tears of joy and relief, he gently squeezed his brother’s hand.

“Hiya, Wak,” he said in a rough voice. “Ya had us pretty worried.”

Wakko didn’t answer, only blinked as his eyes slowly moved between him and Dot. Concern tugged at the eldest Warner again, but before he could ask if he was okay his brother’s brow furrowed again, his dazed look changing to one of complete confusion. The words he spoke, in a quiet, croaky voice, were the last ones either of his siblings expected.

“W-who… are you?”


	2. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awake but with his memory gone, Wakko has far more than physical injuries to overcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I'm giving it a few days between updates, but the story is fully written. Again, please leave a review if you can. Many thanks for those who reviewed, bookmarked, or left kudos... I very much appreciate it.

Dot felt strangely numb as she watched Yakko talking to Scratchansniff, trying to process what had just happened. Just a few moments ago, she had been happier and more relieved than she had ever been, but now it was as if the ground had collapsed beneath her. The sinking feeling increased when her oldest brother visibly drooped and ran a hand over his head, and when he turned to walk to her the look on his face confirmed it wasn’t good.

“So, what…?” she managed to ask. Yakko sank down into the chair next to her.

“He knows his name,” he said in a dull tone. “But it looks like that’s about it.”

Dot stared at him for a moment as the words sank in.

“So… he forgot everything?” Her voice broke. “Everything we did, Mom and Dad… us?”

Yakko swallowed hard, then finally looked at her and nodded. It looked like it was taking all his effort not to break down, and she felt even closer to doing that herself.

“But zhere is a chance his memories vill come back.”

Dot jumped and looked up at the doctor; she hadn’t heard him walk over. She felt a small twinge of hope at his words, and she heard some in Yakko’s voice too. 

“How long could it take?” 

“Difficult to say,” Scratchansniff replied. “It could be anyvhere from a few days to a few months, possibly longer.”

“But… it could be…”

Yakko trailed off, and the doctor sighed.

“Zhere is no vay to say, but… yes, it could be permanent.”

Dot’s heart sank at those words, and it took everything she had not to burst into tears. But still a hushed whimper escaped her, and she felt her oldest brother gently rub her back. 

“It’s okay, sis… it’s gonna be okay.”

But it wasn’t okay… it was far from okay, and Dot could tell from the barely audible catch in Yakko’s voice that he was thinking the same thing. He was good at hiding worry and sadness, but she knew her brothers better than anyone, just like they knew her.

Except now, one of them didn’t know her. To him, she was a stranger now. And the thought of that made her feel as though they had lost him after all.

Dot barely heard the rest of the conversation as Scratchansniff explained that in addition to the memory loss, Wakko was facing a difficult recovery. She had already known that… she had been prepared for that, but never for this. How could anyone be prepared for something like this? A hand on her shoulder interrupted her dispirited musing and she looked up at Yakko.

“We can see him now,” he said, his voice gentle. Dot bit her lip but nodded and stood, letting him take her hand. She found herself feeling nervous as they headed inside the room; it was an alien feeling, being nervous about seeing her own brother, and it made her even sadder. 

When they reached their brother’s bed, Yakko picked her up and set her on it before sitting on the edge himself.

“Hey, sib,” he said softly, smiling. Wakko looked between him and Dot with heavy lidded eyes, and she searched his face, hoping beyond hope to see some trace of recognition. 

There was none. He looked at her and Yakko like he had never seen them before, and that hurt more than she could believe. But as much as she wanted to just cry, she gulped it down and forced herself to smile too. 

“Ya know who we are?” Yakko asked in the same gentle tone. Wakko nodded, his voice weak as he replied.

“Y-yeah… th’ bald guy told me. But…” A look of guilt came to his face. “I d-don’t remember.” 

A lump rose in Dot’s throat again and she glanced at Yakko. His eyes were sad, but he kept smiling.

“Yeah, we know.”

He reached out toward Wakko but then hesitated, apparently unsure whether he would be comfortable with contact yet. The middle sibling appeared to guess what he was thinking and nodded his consent. At that, Yakko smiled again and ran a hand through his hair.

“But ya don’t have to feel bad about it… it’s not your fault.”

“But… what if I n-never…”

“Don’t think like that!” Dot blurted. “You will!”

Her immediate older brother looked at her with wide eyes, and she realized how sharp her voice had been. Her throat tightened and she lowered her eyes in shame.

“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean…”

A hesitant hand touched hers, and she looked up in surprise. Wakko was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

“S’ okay,” he murmured. Dot blinked, then a small but genuine smile tugged at her face. Her brother’s memory might be gone, but his caring heart clearly wasn’t. She could tell Yakko was thinking the same thing from the smile on his own face.

“But she’s right, Wakko. Don’t think that way when there’s a chance, okay?”

Wakko looked at him and his mouth twitched up in a slight smile, though his siblings could see it didn’t reach his eyes.

“D’ you… r-really think I’ll remember?”

Dot felt a sharp ache inside at the doubt on his face; it was a look so out of place on him. She could tell it was hurting Yakko too, but he didn’t show it.

“I think you can do anything,” he said. Wakko looked between him and Dot, then let out a little sigh.

“Okay.”

…

Everything seemed to hurt, especially his head. And that wasn’t doing much to help Wakko think, and he’d been thinking whenever he could stay awake. But whenever he tried to think of anything before yesterday, it only made his head hurt more. 

Eleven years, gone. His whole life, even his family, forgotten. It was still hard to believe.

Wakko glanced at his siblings sleeping in their beds. He hadn’t remembered so much as their names before that doctor guy told him, and he didn’t even mention their parents. Neither had Yakko and Dot, for that matter. Wakko was sure now that something had happened to them but hadn’t brought himself to ask yet. Something told him he wasn’t going to like the answer. 

A rustling sound made his ears twitch, and he looked to see Yakko sitting up. He wondered if his brother had some kind of radar when it came to his siblings.

“Wakko? What’re you doin’ up?” He got up and walked over. “You hurting?”

Wakko gave him a half smile. He’d been doing his best to humor his brother, since it was obvious he felt bad about everything. 

“Some,” he said softly. “But it’s not too bad, really.”

Yakko cocked his head, frowning a little.

“So, what’s wrong then?”

Wakko shifted, shuffling his feet.

“I just…” He took a deep breath, then looked up. “Something happened to our mom and dad, didn’t it?”

His brother’s face immediately dropped, and he looked so sad that Wakko felt his heart sink. He swallowed before speaking in a small voice.

“They’re…”

His throat was too tight to finish, but Yakko seemed to guess the rest. Looking down, he nodded. A few moments passed before Wakko could speak again.

“H-how?”

He saw his brother’s jaw clench, and he swallowed hard before speaking again.

“Look, it’s really late and you shouldn’t be thinking about this right now…”

Wakko just kept looking at him, making no move to let it go. After a few moments, Yakko sighed and sank down on the side of the bed.

“I can only tell you what I know.”

Wakko nodded, bracing himself. He wanted to know… he had to know.

…

It wasn’t the first time Yakko had to explain to one of his siblings what happened to their parents, but that didn’t make it any easier. And the look on Wakko’s face immediately made him wish he hadn’t.

_What was I thinking, dropping something like this on him so soon?!_

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have told ya now…”

“No…” His brother was staring at his hands, his voice quivering. “No, I wanted to know.”

His face grew even sadder.

“It’s not like I can even remember them. I can’t remember anything.” 

The utter despondency in his voice broke Yakko’s heart, and it took a few moments before he could speak again.

“Do… do you wanna talk?”

“No, it’s okay,” Wakko said softly. “I’ll be fine. Sorry I woke you up.”

Yakko hesitated; he didn’t want to push his brother to talk if he didn’t want to, but he hated to just leave him like this.

“Are you… sure?” he asked. 

Wakko nodded.

“Yeah. Don’t worry ‘bout me.”

Despite his reluctance, Yakko sighed and stood. Telling people not to worry about him had probably become second nature to Wakko, even with his amnesia.

“Okay, but if you do wanna talk, you can. Just tell me.”

He hesitated a moment, then reached out and gently ruffled his brother’s hair.

“Feel better, sib. See ya in the morning.”

Wakko looked up at him with another slight smile.

“Thanks, Yakko… night.”

The eldest Warner smiled in return, then headed back to his own bed. After he settled in, only a few moments passed before he heard the faint but unmistakable sound of stifled crying. His heart broke even more, and it took all he had not to follow suit. Even though he’d lost his memory, Wakko was still dealing with things in the only way he knew how… by himself.

_Nice going, genius… he had enough to deal with without this hanging over him._

Despite the strong urge to go back to him, Yakko gritted his teeth and forced it back, knowing he wouldn’t be welcome. If he wanted Wakko to open up, he needed to remember that first he had to earn his trust, and that was going to take time. Especially if his memory never returned…

A lump rose in Yakko’s throat at the thought, and he stared up at the ceiling with stinging eyes. It was far too soon to assume the worst, at least that’s what they were told, but he couldn’t help fearing it anyway. He knew Dot did too, and he didn’t know how she would bear it if it did happen. He wasn’t sure how he would either, for that matter. 

And their poor brother… he had lost so much, and he was so alone. If his memory didn’t come back, Yakko knew with a certainty he couldn’t explain that Wakko would blame himself for it. He already felt guilty about it, even though he tried to hide it. Just like he tried to hide how he was feeling before all this.

_Well, that’s gonna stop now._

Yakko’s despondency was pushed back with a sense of determination. Whether Wakko’s memory came back or not, he wasn’t going to be facing this alone. Whatever happened, they would get through this together… like they always did.


	3. Fortitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As recovery proves slow and difficult, all three siblings face it in different ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Please leave a few words if you can, reviews make me happy and a happy writer is a productive writer. I know this is a somewhat serious story, but that's what I'm best at.

Dot hesitated at the doorway, listening to her brothers’ voices.

“You got it, Wak?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Wakko sounded just a little irritated, and Dot couldn’t help smiling a bit. She remembered well the days her oldest brother constantly hovered over her. She peeked inside, and the amusement quickly faded.

The middle sibling was standing between two parallel bars, his grip tight. Yakko, who was standing beside him, stepped back.

“Okay, give it a try.”

Dot watched hopefully as Wakko began to move forward, his steps slow and unsteady. But when he was close to the halfway point, she saw his legs beginning to tremble. He clenched his teeth and tried to keep going, but only got in two more steps before they gave out.

“Whoa, careful!”

Yakko barely caught him before he hit the floor, then smiled at him.

“Nice going, sib! Little further than yesterday.”

Wakko didn’t meet his eyes but stared at the floor with a dejected look.

“Yeah…” he mumbled. “Little.”

His older brother’s smile faltered, and he sighed.

“Wak, I know you’re frustrated, but…”

Wakko immediately glared at him.

“Of course I’m frustrated!” he snapped, making Dot blink in surprise. “Some wanker shot me with a cannon, and now I can’t remember my own life or do anything myself!”

His shoulders slumped, and the anger turned to sadness.

“We’ve been at this a week, and I still can’t even take a few steps without collapsing.”

Dot bit her lip and turned away, struggling to suppress her tears as Yakko’s encouraging voice came from inside. She couldn’t stand seeing her optimistic brother this way; so discouraged and doubt-filled. At first she had felt better knowing that they hadn’t lost him completely, and of course she would always be grateful for that. But it seemed so much of him had been lost, and with every day that passed her hope that his memory would return, that he would ever be himself again, grew thinner.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke into her thoughts, and she quickly wiped her eyes before turning around just as her brothers emerged, the younger on the older’s back. Both looked surprised to see her, which gave her a sharp pang of guilt, but she made herself smile at Wakko.

“Hey, I saw you… you were great!”

Her brother blinked, still looking surprised, then she saw his eyes lighten just a little.

“Thanks,” he said softly. Yakko smiled and hoisted him a little higher.

“Told ya it was good.”

Dot followed along as he headed back to their shared room but hesitated again at the doorway. She saw Yakko give her a sideways look and recognized his ‘I know something’s wrong and we’re gonna talk about it’ look. She bit her lip and stayed where she was, watching as Wakko climbed off his back onto his bed. Yakko said something she couldn’t hear and ruffled his cap and hair; Wakko leaned into it, but still didn’t smile. Dot let out a quiet sigh, only looking away when her oldest brother headed back to her. As soon as they were out of earshot, he gave her a searching look. All at once, her suppressed emotions broke free and she was struggling not to cry. Yakko sighed and knelt down to her level.

“C’mere.”

Dot nestled into his shoulder, sniffling as he rubbed her back. After a few moments, he spoke up again in a gentle but firm tone.

“I know this is tough, sis… believe me, I know. But is avoiding it really gonna make it any better?”

She knew he was right, but all her vexation at the situation seemed to rush to the surface and she couldn’t stop it from bursting out.

“It’s just all so wrong! This never should’ve happened to him in the first place! And everyone says at least he didn’t die, but the way things are now he might as well have!”

As soon as the words were out, her eyes went wide. After a few stunned moments her throat closed up, and she pressed her face into her hands.

“Th-that came out wrong…” 

To her surprise, she was pulled into another hug.

“I know you’re frustrated, Dot… we all are,” Yakko said. “And I know it’s really hard to see him like this. But can you imagine how Wakko feels? On top of everything else he’s going through, he’s got no one but a family he doesn’t remember, and thinks he’s letting them down because he can’t.”

Dot bit her lip as she returned the hug, feeling even more guilty than before.

“That must be awful,” she whispered.

“Yeah… but whether he remembers us or not, he’s still our brother, and he really needs us right now. You don’t love him any less, right?”

“No!” Dot exclaimed. Was that what Wakko thought? The thought made her want to cry all over again. Yakko drew back and gave her a small smile.

“Well, there ya go.”

Dot gazed down at the floor for a moment, then looked up with brimming eyes.

“But what if he never remembers?”

“Then we’ll just have t’ live with it,” Yakko replied. “But even if he doesn’t, he’s still himself, so when he knows we still love him, he’ll eventually feel the same way about us. I’m positive.”

Seeing the sincerity on his face, Dot smiled a little and nodded. Deep down, she knew that too. Her smile faltered as guilt filled her again.

“I’m sorry I didn’t help more,” she said softly. Her oldest brother just smiled and pecked her on the forehead.

“It’s okay, sis. But from now on we do this together, deal?”

Dot hugged him again.

“Deal.”

Yakko drew back and touched noses with her before standing.

“Then how about we go cheer our brother sib up, huh? Food still works.”

Dot giggled, then thought for a moment before a slow smile spread across her face.

“I’ve got another idea.”

Yakko cocked his head but didn’t ask any questions. When they returned to their room, Wakko was sitting up with his hat in his hands, the usual solemn expression on his face as he turned it over like he sometimes did when he was sad. Despite the dejection the sight brought, there was a little encouragement too. Even if he didn’t realize it, he still remembered his old habits. Dot walked over and hopped up on the bed, pushing down her guilt when Wakko looked at her with slight surprise.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “I haven’t been helping much and I…”

“No, it’s okay,” her brother interrupted. He sighed and looked down again. “Can’t say I blame you… I know I’m not exactly a joy to be around right now.”

Dot reached over and patted his hand, then smiled when he looked up.

“I know something that might make ya feel better. When we were little, whenever either of us was sad, Yakko would sing this song that Mom used to. Wanna hear it?”

Wakko hesitated a moment, then nodded.

“Okay.”

Dot’s smile widened.

“Okay then,” she said in a cheerful tone, then moved to sit with her back against the headboard and looked at him expectantly. When he looked at her with confusion, she raised a brow.

“You wanna hear it, we gotta do it right.” She patted the spot beside her. “C’mon, scootch in.”

After another moment of hesitation, the middle sibling did as she said, and she placed an arm around him as he leaned against her. She cleared her throat and started to sing in the same soft, soothing voice their older brother always used.

_Golden slumbers  
Fill your eyes  
Smiles await you when you rise  
Sleep, pretty darling  
Do not cry  
And I will sing a lullaby_

As she sang, she began gently running her finger down the bridge of his nose. His eyelids flickered, and after a few more times they closed. Then the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile for the first time in days, tongue sticking out just a little. By the time Dot reached the end of the song, he was asleep. Smiling herself, she looked at Yakko, who had been standing nearby listening.

“Do you think he remembered?” she whispered. He grinned and walked over, giving their sleeping brother a gentle pat on the head.

“Don’t think it would’ve worked if he didn’t.” He looked at her, still grinning. “Great job, sister sibling.”

“Yeah, well…” She gave Wakko a tender look and tucked the covers over his shoulders. “It’s my turn to take care of him.”


	4. Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things begin to get better, Wakko still wonders if he'll ever be whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I'm a little discouraged that I'm not getting much feedback, so please leave a few words if you can. Thanks to all who did, and I'm going to give it four or five days till the next update. Cheers!

_Loud, booming sounds echoed in the dark. And he was scared… why was he so scared? What was happening?_

_“It’ll be okay, sibs.”_

_That was Yakko. He sounded scared too. Why? Yakko was never scared._

_“It’ll be okay… Mom and Dad’ll be back soon. Don’t be scared…”_

_Light suddenly filled Wakko’s vision, and he was running, running as fast as he could. Another loud boom came from behind, but he couldn’t stop… he had to keep going…_

_Bam!_

_The ground seemed to shake, and an explosion of pain filled his body as he was thrown to the ground. It was agony to move… but he had to move… he had to…!_

Wakko didn’t realize he was screaming until his eyes flew open and he jerked upright, barely noticing his surroundings. But within a second, there was a jolt on the bed and someone’s arms were around him.

“Wakko, it’s okay! It’s okay, you’re safe!”

At the sound of that voice, his wild panic began to fade. He blinked, still panting, and realized there were tears in his eyes.

“D-Dot?” The arms around him tightened just a little, but not enough to hurt.

“Yeah, it’s me,” came his sister’s gentle voice. “I’m here.”

A hand rested on his head.

“We’re both here.”

Wakko looked up, still trembling.

“Yakko?”

His older brother’s concerned look came into focus, along with the room behind him. The disjointed sounds and intense emotions from his dream still fresh in his mind, Wakko closed his eyes tight and felt tears running down his face.

“I-it was a dream… I… I heard things, saw…”

The hand on his head ran through his hair.

“It’s okay, Wak. Scratchy said this would probably happen.”

“But…” The middle sibling clenched his eyes tighter shut. “I think I was… remembering something, but… I don’t know what…”

A sudden, sharp ache in his head made him break off with a hiss. He heard Dot gasp too as she drew back, her anxious voice echoing too loud in his ears.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Wakko pressed his hands to his head.

“Not… so loud…”

His sister’s voice immediately dropped to a whisper.

“Sorry.” 

The ache slowly faded, and he opened his eyes. 

“I couldn’t think of it. I don’t know what I…”

He bit his lip hard, feeling angry at himself.

“Why can’t I remember?!”

Yakko patted his shoulder, and the middle sibling looked up with tear-filled eyes to see his brother’s sad look.

“It’s okay, Wakko,” he said softly. “Don’t blame yourself.” 

Dot wrapped her arms around him again.

“And whether you remember or not, we’ll never blame you.”

More tears filled Wakko’s eyes, escaping as he closed them again and returned the hug, sniffling. Another pair of arms wrapped around him and Dot, and a strangely familiar sense of comfort slowly filled him. When his sniffling stopped, he heard the smile in his brother’s voice.

“This always made ya feel better. Especially when we were little… we did it at the orphanage all the time.”

Wakko released a quiet sigh as he nestled into his siblings’ embrace, his voice quivering a little.

“I wish I could remember…”

His siblings just tightened their arms around him. They sat that way for a long time, no one speaking. But the silence had a strange reassurance to it, and something stirred ever so slightly in Wakko’s mind.

But to his disappointment, it had faded before he could place it.

…

“Just take it slow, Wak.”

Wakko glanced behind him at Yakko, giving him a half amused, half annoyed smile as he grasped the bars.

“Yeah, Yakko, I heard you the first time. And the four times you said it yesterday.”

A sheepish look crossed his brother’s face, and he heard Dot giggle.

“Okay,” Yakko said. “Go for it.”

Looking down at his feet, Wakko stuck his tongue out in concentration and began moving forward with slow, careful steps. A little way past the half point, he felt his legs begin trembling again. He gripped the bars tighter, frustration tugging at him again.

“Don’t look there, look at me.”

At his sister’s voice, he looked up to see her giving him an encouraging smile. Yakko spoke from behind him.

“That’s it, focus on her. Nice and easy.”

Taking a deep breath, Wakko kept his eyes on Dot and focused every ounce of determination into keeping his legs moving. A small smile tugged at his face, slowly growing as he got closer and closer to her. Finally, he reached the other side and Dot jumped to support him when he let go. His heart gave a joyful leap, and he heard the same joy in his sister’s voice.

“You did it! You did it!”

A hand ruffled his cap and hair, and he looked up at his older brother’s proud grin.

“Way to go, sib!”

Wakko grinned back, still leaning on Dot.

“Thanks, guys.” 

But then his mood sobered.

“At least I can do something,” he sighed. Though his physical recovery was going well, every attempt to restore his memory fell short. He’d had dreams, but they were all full of disjointed images and voices that he couldn’t make much sense of. Sometimes he heard two voices that he felt he knew: one sounded a lot like Dot, only older, and the other was like his own, deeper but with the same accent. He was pretty sure that they were the voices of his parents, but that was all he could really recall. Everything else was still just a blank. 

Wakko’s dispirited thoughts were interrupted when his older brother placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up.

“We told you,” he said with a smile. “You don’t have to feel bad about it.” 

“But… I know you guys want me to remember, and I…”

There was a light thump against the back of his head, causing him to blink in surprise and look at his sister.

“What did I tell you about thinking that way?” she scolded gently. “What we want is for you to be okay. You don’t need your memories for that.”

_But don’t I, really? How can I be okay when I’ve lost my whole life? When I barely know my own family?_

The thought came unbidden, but Wakko couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud… it would only hurt his siblings more, and they had been through enough. 

“You feel okay?” Yakko asked. Wakko gave him another smile. Yeah, he was fine… they didn’t have to worry.

“Little tired.” He wasn’t lying… the pain was pretty much gone now, but he still tired really easily. It bothered him a little, being weak like this, but he’d been told he was progressing well considering how serious it was. His brother nodded and lowered himself to his level.

“Okay. C’mon, jump up.”

Wakko climbed onto his back and Yakko stood, hoisting him up. As they headed out, followed by Dot, something seemed to stir in Wakko’s mind. It was a feeling he got whenever they did this, but he hadn’t voiced it yet, mainly because he didn’t want to get his siblings’ hopes up. But now, he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore.

“Yakko…” he said slowly. “We did this before, didn’t we? When I was little?”

His older brother stopped, glancing back at him.

“Do you remember that?”

Wakko frowned a little, trying to think back. He still couldn’t form an image, but there was something there… 

“I’m not sure,” he said softly. “It’s like… like a feeling. It feels familiar, but I don’t know why.”

He chanced a glance at Dot, worried that he might see disappointment in her look. But to his surprise, she was smiling.

“Well, that’s more than you had before, right?”

After a moment of hesitation, Wakko spoke in an unsure tone.

“Yeah.”

Yakko hoisted him up a little higher and spoke with a teasing note in his voice as he started walking again.

“C’mon, grumpy gills, why so gloomy? You’re doing great, and don’t let anyone tell ya otherwise.”

A grin tugged at the younger brother’s face. It wasn’t the first time they had told him something like this, but it was always a bit of a pickup when they did. Honestly, the only person who told him otherwise was himself, but he had a feeling they knew that. 

He was trying to think positive, really, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was always something missing. Something that he needed to feel complete again. Would he always feel that way, if his memory loss was permanent? It was a disheartening thought. And even though he was still getting to know his siblings, he found he cared about them a lot and felt like he was somehow failing them.

“Here ya go.”

Wakko blinked, his train of thought interrupted by Yakko’s voice. Shaking his head to clear it, he climbed off his brother’s back onto his bed.

“Thanks,” he said. Some of his discouragement must have leaked into his voice, because Dot climbed up in front of him and looked at him with a mix of sternness and concern as she poked his chest.

“If you still think you’re letting us down, cut it out, mister.” 

Wakko stared at her for a moment; not for the first time, he wondered if she and Yakko could somehow read his mind. Was he able to do this with them, before?

“If you do get your memory back,” Dot continued. “We don’t want you to do it for us… we want you to do it for you, if you want it. We have you here with us, and that’s all we need.”

She shuffled forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“And remember us or not, we still love you.”

At those words, a feeling of warmth and comfort filled the middle sibling. As if on instinct, he returned the hug as he murmured back.

“I know. Thanks, sis.”


	5. Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discouraged by his continuing memory loss, Wakko makes one more wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done! I decided to post a little earlier than I said, I'm eager to see this finished and hear readers' thoughts on it. Again, please leave a few words if you can.

A soft gasp escaped Wakko as his eyes opened. Letting out a sigh, he sat up and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He’d had another of those vague dreams: just an indistinguishable mix of sounds and blurred images. A familiar sense of frustration filled him; this had been happening all the time over the past week. Despite everything his siblings had been telling him about their past lives, he still couldn’t really recall any of it… it felt like it was hovering at the edge of his mind, just out of reach.

Letting out another sigh, Wakko’s eyes moved to the window and he found himself gazing at the stars. Something tugged at him, and he closed his eyes.

_I wish I would remember._

He wasn’t sure why he was doing this again, but maybe, just maybe, if it worked once…

Wakko opened his eyes again, and they moved from the sky to the dimly lit town. Suddenly, a thought came to him. Hearing about his past hadn’t really worked so far, but maybe if he saw something… 

A sense of cautious excitement filled him, and the thought of asking about it tomorrow came to him. But as the idea kept pulling at him, he decided he couldn’t wait. He took a quick glance at his siblings, then slid out of bed. He was finally able to move around without help, though he still got tired before long. But that shouldn’t be a problem… he didn’t have to go far.

Grabbing his scarf, he glanced at Yakko and Dot one more time before padding out of the room as quietly as he could. He wasn’t sure if this would work, so telling them might only get their hopes up for nothing. It was best he did this alone.

When he stepped outside, Wakko shivered a little at the chill and his breath escaped in a misty cloud. Bracing himself, he headed off at a fast walk; running would be faster, but it would wear him out sooner and he had only descriptions to go by to get to his destination. After a few minutes, he finally reached it: the rundown building that, until recently, he and his siblings had called home. 

Wakko hesitated outside, scanning the structure. Nothing about the outside jogged his memory. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward and stepped inside. It was almost just as cold inside as outside, and he rubbed his arms as he looked around, racking his mind for any sense of familiarity. There was very little to see, but something against the wall caught his eye. It looked like a mattress, with several strings stretched over it. Frowning, he crossed the room and examined it closely. Slowly, he reached out and plucked one of the strings. Something stirred in his mind, and he closed his eyes as he tried to place it.

Several moments passed as Wakko thought hard… he knew this, but how? Over and over, he tried to remember, but it just wouldn’t come no matter how hard he tried. Finally, he opened his eyes and sank down onto a box beside the mattress. He released a heavy sigh and looked down at his feet… maybe it was time to start resigning himself to the fact that he would most likely never get his memory back. He tried to tell himself that it wasn’t so bad, not really, but his eyes still began stinging. He closed them again, sniffling quietly.

_I guess I can’t do anything. Yakko, Dot… I’m sorry._

…

Yakko woke suddenly, as if by some internal alarm. He sat up with a yawn, and out of instinct glanced at his siblings only to find one of the beds empty. Wakko was gone. He froze, staring for a moment, then a rush of alarm filled him. Jumping up, he hurried to the door and glanced out to see if he had just gone out in the hall but saw no one. His alarm increased, along with a trace of exasperation; what was his brother thinking, going off by himself in the cold when he still wasn’t fully recovered?

The eldest Warner was just about to rush out after him when he remembered his sister. If she woke up and saw both him and Wakko gone, she would be panicked too. Turning, he hurried over to her. Despite feeling some unease at how she’d probably react to being woken in the middle of the night, he gently shook her shoulder.

“Dot? Dot, wake up!”

A sleepy mumble escaped her, then she opened her eyes and gave him a glare that could peel paint.

“This better be impor-“ 

Apparently seeing his anxious look, she stopped talking as her glare dropped, and he took the opportunity to speak.

“Sorry, but it is. Wakko’s gone…”

“What?!” Dot sat bolt upright, alarm in her face. “Why would he…”

Yakko quickly placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m not sure, but don’t worry, I think I know where he went.”

His sister’s eyes immediately widened in realization. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and hopped off.

“I’m coming too.”

“You don’t have to…” Yakko started but stopped when she glared at him again.

“Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “He’s my brother too, and I wanna help him just as much as you!”

Recognizing her stubborn expression, Yakko knew he wouldn’t be able to stop her if he tried. He sighed and nodded.

“Okay, sis. But put your…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Dot had snatched her shawl and put it on. Taking a moment to grab his scarf, Yakko wrapped it around his neck as they rushed to the door. He barely noticed the bite of the cold when they got outside but grabbed his sister’s hand and kept hold of it as they hurried down the dark street. He really hoped he was right about where Wakko was, and that he hadn’t passed out somewhere else… if they couldn’t find him, he could freeze out here. 

Neither sibling spoke until their old shelter came into view. When they got close, Dot hesitated.

“Do you hear that?”

Yakko stopped too and listened; relief filled him as he recognized the sound. He tugged on his sister’s hand.

“C’mon.”

As they hurried toward the ramshackle building, Yakko’s relief became punctuated with irritation; he was rarely angry with his siblings, but when they did something reckless he took exception. What if Wakko had passed out somewhere? It could have been hours before they found him! But as soon as they reached the door, the sight inside drove any reprimand out of his mind.

Wakko was sitting in front of his makeshift harp, slowly plucking at the strings. The sound was mournful in itself, but it was nothing compared to the look on his face. Unbidden, the memory came back to Yakko of another night when he had seen this exact same sight. 

And what had he done then? Left him alone.

The feeling of remorse was interrupted when he felt Dot squeeze his hand. He looked down at her to see the same sadness in her eyes, but also a look of encouragement. Taking a breath, he pushed it down.

_I’m not doing that this time._

Dot followed behind as he stepped inside, and as they approached he saw Wakko’s ears twitch. His hand paused over the strings and he looked up, his eyes widening when he saw them. Quickly, he stood up as his sad look turned into an anxious one.

“Guys, I… I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

Yakko shook his head.

“No, it’s okay… we’re just glad we found you. But what’re you doing here?”

Wakko sighed and sat back down.

“I just thought, maybe if I saw this place, it might bring something back.” He shook his head, looking utterly defeated. “But it didn’t.”

Yakko glanced at Dot and saw his own sadness etched on her face. Letting out a quiet sigh, he walked over to Wakko and lowered himself to his level. Placing a hand under his chin, he gently lifted it. A lump rose in his throat at the tears in his brother’s eyes and he swallowed hard before speaking in a steady tone.

“Wakko, listen… I know you still feel like this is your fault. But you’ve gotta believe it’s not. Ya can’t keep beating yourself up over something you had no control over.”

Wakko looked at him for a moment, then his jaw tightened as he looked down again. 

“But… but I’m trying, and it just doesn’t work.”

For once, Yakko found himself unsure of what to say. He glanced over at Dot again, then a thought came to him. He looked back at his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Ya know, the night before you left Acme Falls, Dot said something like that to you.”

Wakko looked up, his sad look gaining a trace of curiosity.

“Really?”

Yakko nodded with a slight smile.

“She didn’t want you to leave, and she said she was trying to get better, but it wasn’t working. And you said sometimes, even when you try really hard, things just don’t work. But that doesn’t mean it’s your fault. It just means you need to depend on the people who love you.”

Wakko’s eyes had moved to the ground again, and his brow was slowly furrowing as if in deep thought. For several moments, he was silent, but then his eyes widened. 

“Yakko…” he said softly. “I… I remember that…”

Stunned silence greeted his words, and Yakko heard Dot gasp through the sound of his heart pounding. Finally, he managed to speak.

“Y-you what?”

Wakko lifted his head, looking as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“I remember.” His eyes welled up with tears. “I remember everything.”

For several moments, Yakko could only stare as the words slowly sunk in. Then his own eyes began stinging, and he felt tears run down his face as he pulled his little brother into a tight hug. Wakko returned it just as fiercely, burying his face in Yakko’s shoulder. Dot rushed over and threw her arms around him too, her quiet sniffles filling the silence. Yakko shifted so she could nestle in between him and Wakko, and all three siblings stayed locked in a firm embrace. Finally Wakko spoke, his voice trembling with emotion.

“I love you, big brother. I love you, baby sister.”

Dot whimpered something that sounded vaguely like ‘I love you’ before her voice broke on a joyful sob. Yakko swallowed hard as he pressed his face into his brother’s cap.

“I love you too, baby bro,” he whispered. “So much.” And deep inside, an empty space he hadn’t known was there was filled. 

At last, at long last, his family was together, and whole.


	6. Epilogue: Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally complete again, the siblings remember the promise they made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, this is very short. It's meant to be, since it's an epilogue of sorts, and I didn't want to add it to the previous chapter. I hope everyone following this enjoyed it, because I enjoyed writing it. Please tell me what you thought, because feedback is very important to me.

“I could a’ walked, Yakko.”

Through his tired daze, Wakko heard the amusement in his brother’s reply.

“You were asleep on your feet, sib. You’re tough, but you’re not 100% yet.”

“He’s right, you know,” Dot chimed in. “It’s not like you need to prove anything.”

The middle sibling let out a sigh as he climbed from his perch on the eldest’s back onto his bed. He knew they were right… it was just still hard for him to be so close to being back to normal but not quite there yet.

“C’mon,” Yakko said, giving him a playful nudge. “If there’s one thing we know after all this, it’s that you can do anything.”

“You really… think so?” Wakko asked through a yawn. Dot hopped up in front of him and lightly flicked his forehead.

“Start using that rock-hard head of yours,” she said with a smile. “We always did.”

Wakko looked at her, then his face broke into a tired but genuine goofy grin. Grinning himself, Yakko gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“Get some sleep now, pal. Ya had a big night.”

Wakko nodded but then hesitated.

“Hey, guys?” He looked between them, feeling his eyes dampen. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

His siblings both smiled and wrapped him in a hug. 

“Like we ever would,” Dot said softly.

“You remember what we said, right?” Yakko asked.

Wakko nodded and nestled close as he returned their embrace, reveling in the feeling of finally being whole again.

“All for one and one for all times three,” he whispered. “Always.”


End file.
